‘Get somebody else to do it’: Job listing asks workers to be ‘on-call 24/7,’ pays $20-$25 per hour
Viewers reacted negatively to a New York City job listing with a 24/7 on-call requirement that was featured in a viral TikTok video.
On April 26, TikTok user Anne (@germantiktoks) highlighted a job listing that required that workers "must be 'on call' 24 hours a day / 7 days a week." Anne also pointed out that the salary range is listed as $20-25 per hour. The video received over 162,000 views as of April 27.
@germantiktoks 🤦🏻♀️ #nyc #nycjobs #jobs #america #worklife ♬ Strut - Kyle Walker
The listing in question likely comes from the Today show, which posted a listing for a researcher position on Hollylist.com that matches the information in the video and was listed hours before the video was posted.
Confused viewers questioned whether the person who gets the job will be compensated for being on-call and shared their own experiences with being expected to be on-call. “My old boss would literally say ‘you’re on salary that means you’re on-call 24/7’ lmao- NOPE,” TikToker Arie Justine shared.
On a federal basis, unworked hours generally do not require payment, though there is variation around on-call labor laws on a state-by-state basis. That said, if an employee is required to remain on the workplace's premises while they are on-call, that would likely be defined as hours worked and would require payment. Additionally, many users expressed frustration at the listing’s on-call requirement in the context of the position’s pay. “These companies have the audacity to pay POVERTY level and then want you to be on call?! Um…No!” another user, @lhughes57, said.
“And in NYC!!! You couldn’t afford a cardboard box for that in NY,” Amy Hunter said.
“These companies are getting wild. No wonder they can’t find workers," @gusis121 suggested.
The Daily Dot reached out to NBC News via email and to Anne via TikTok comment.
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